Why Grow Your Own Food? It’s a Matter of Survival

Do you have a garden in your backyard? Your own garden is a great way to feed your family nutritious foods for a lot less than what it costs to buy fresh produce. A survival garden will not only feed your family now, but can provide a reliable supply of food, seeds, and gardening supplies during extreme survival situations.

Whether you’re growing your garden for survival or because you love a good excuse to put your hands in the dirt — growing your own food is the best way to ensure you’re eating more nutritious and fulfilling foods without harmful pesticides. In this article, we’re highlighting some reasons why growing and raising your own food is best for your and your family’s health.

Teaching Kids Healthy Habits

Tending to your garden with your kids is a great way to teach them valuable lessons like the importance of healthy eating. Gardening also gives kids a unique way to get outside and play, teaches them responsibility, builds confidence, and develops new skills. Growing your own food with your kids can even teach them about nature and how to feed themselves in survival scenarios.

Experts at the University of Nevada cited findings that less than one percent of American children can actually meet the metrics for ideal heart health, and poor nutrition is to blame. The main issues in the average kid’s diet include: a lack of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and too much consumption of foods high in calories and low in nutritional value.

Kids aged 2 to 19 get most of their daily calories from simple carbohydrates rather than the complex, healthy carbs. That’s a big problem but we can reverse these trends by teaching kids the difference between homegrown, fresh produce and processed junk food.

Not all seniors are able to tend to their own garden and produce their own foods. That’s why they often end up relying on fast food options and other convenient, processed foods.

However, most gardeners find that their little patch of earth produces more food than their family can consume before it goes bad. Instead of wasting your extra produce, pass it along to your parents, grandparents, or elderly neighbors. Sharing your freshly grown produce can improve relationships and communities, and could even result in an agreement on shared resources. Likewise, your elderly family members and neighbors might enjoy helping with your garden when they’re able. It’s a win-win scenario!

As a survivalist, you probably think a lot about how you can care for your health right now so that when the need arises, you’re in an optimal condition for survival. A great place to start is with your diet and growing your own food is the best way to eat a healthy and nutritious diet that leads to overall personal wellness.

By eating your own homegrown foods, you’re also avoiding the huge issue of food contamination. When food is prepared in a warehouse and then distributed all over the country, it puts massive numbers of people at risk when something is contaminated and not contained before it’s distributed and consumed.

Brooke Faulkner writes and raises her sons in the Pacific Northwest. She is always looking for ways to make healthy living an accessible part of every day life. Find more of her writing on twitter, @faulknercreek